


PRISM

by athenasbow



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved, Ryan Bergara - Fandom, Shane Madej - Fandom, au?? maybe?? idk
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athenasbow/pseuds/athenasbow
Summary: Ten bodies. Ten victims. One suspect. The Unsolved team works on its own to uncover a case that's been ravaging around for two years. But maybe, just maybe.. One of their own is to blame.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. are you sure about this?

"this week on buzzfeed unsolved we cover the infamous Westland marsh murders," Ryan spoke slowly , looking at his two comrades as he spoke . the other two were facing the camera , an intensity in their faces that was otherwise unreadable . Shane sat back and gazed at Ryan for a moment , a smile on his features. Ryan met his gaze , a soft sigh escaping past his tiers once he gazed down at the folder . "Right , let's get into it ."

"ten bodies . ten killings . all bodies were found in or near a swamp . there were markings on the victims torsos that indicate there had to be a personal motive. a crime of passion taken a bit too far."

Shane let a soft huff pass his tiers . he looked at Ryan , a glimmer of humor in his eyes . Then to Y/N , who was too focused on the case that they haven't put a word in edgewise . "a crime of passion , hm ? I highly doubt that ."

Ryan huffed , turning back to the case file for a moment before turning to Shane , shaking his head slowly . "I don't know about you sometimes ." turning his gaze back to Y/N, his voice could be heard once more; “Well, what do you think?”

-

I said nothing for a moment, my gaze drifting to my hands as I mulled over what to say next. When I brought my gaze back up, both of them were looking at me expectantly. I let my gaze pass between both of them before resting in the middle, on the camera; a good middle ground.

“There’s too many victims for it to be a crime of passion, I think,” I said after a moment, my gaze still directly on the camera. I could see Shane shift out of the corner of my eye, and I turned my gaze over to him. “What? Do you think otherwise?” 

The taller man’s gaze passed between both me and Ryan respectively before he spoke again, his voice softer than before; a whisper in the chorus, so to speak. “No, I—that isn’t what I meant,” he said silently, his gaze flicking between the two of us again, as if in a panic.

I let my gaze pass to Ryan, opting for him to answer instead of I. The two of them had worked together for longer, after all. “You seem nervous,” Ryan murmured, the look in his eyes unmissable; confusion. Shane shot back almost instantly, shooting down the notion like it were a fly. “I’m not nervous, no, not at all! This case just..weirds me out, is all,” was all he said to address the matter. Ryan nodded, looking down at the case file once more.

“Wait,” I said suddenly, turning my gaze back to Ryan quickly. “If the bodies were found in a swamp,” I drew a circle on the table with my index finger for special effect. “How would we know that there was a special mark on the bodies?” Surely, that was a stupid question, but I had to know — for my own benefit.

Ryan’s lips curled up in a smile. “I’m glad you asked that, actually, because I was just going to address that,” he said softly, his eyes still on the case file. I nodded and leaned back, trying not to let the fear I was feeling show on my visage. 

When Ryan spoke again, his voice was softer, but it still held that same intensity that it always did when he was reading the file. “When the bodies were discovered, they were seemingly all in tact, which led investigators to discover that one mark on their torso that linked the crimes,”

“So what you’re implying then is that the bodies were all recognizable?” Ah, yes. Classic Shane. Ryan held back a laugh as he replied once more, leaning on the table. “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant, actually!” this was followed by a laugh, which led Shane and I to laugh as well—that’s just how infectious his laugh was! After the laughter died down a bit, Ryan continued reading the file, and I leaned back on the chair once more, resting my chin in the palm of my hand.

“Now onto the theories,” there was that voice again. Chills ran down my arm, and I smiled the slightest bit. 

“The first theory is one that many people believe, but it’s also one I find incredibly asinine,” Ryan said, pausing a moment before listing the actual theory. This was what he always did, but it gave it more of an interesting twist. 

“The theory, then, is this; the killer of the first victim wasn't the killer of the other nine,” he said soon after, and I nodded, as if to show understanding. “You could call it a copycat game of sorts, if you so wish”

I sat up almost instantly, drumming my fingers on the table. “Wait a second. But the cases were so close together..” I trailed off, hoping one if not both of them knew where I was going with this.

“..Which is why I find it stupid. Not only that, but the first case wasn’t even reported to the media until weeks after it happened,” Ryan finished where I left off, gazing at the two of us again. Shane nodded, “I agree with you there, plus it’s kind of dumb to want to copycat a killer anyway,” he said with finality, and the both of us nodded in agreement.

“The second and final theory is one that I find both most intriguing and most probable,” Ryan let his words hang in the air for a moment, suspended there by an invisible cord before speaking once more, the intensity of his words unmissable. “The theory speculates that the killer was a hitman,”

Shane was quick to meet this theory with a type of speculation neither of us had seen in him before. “What you’re implying then is that the victim’s families hired the suspect to take them out?” Shane’s eyes were wider than they had been, and that note of nervousness and desperation in his voice from before had disappeared almost entirely. Ryan looked over at the both of us, a curious glint in his eye. “As macabre as it is, yes. I think this theory is the one that makes the most sense, after all,” he said in a murmur, before shutting the case file; a sign the episode was over. 

“No matter how the killings occurred, the Westland marsh killings will remain.. Unsolved.”

As the cameras shut off, Ryan turned to Shane and I with an exuberant smile on his face before turning to shake my hand. “Hey, thank you for helping us with this episode,” a smile on my face appeared as I stated that no thanks was needed.

However, as we left the studios, a thought entered my mind that might change the way I look at this case forever.


	2. chapter two - that wasn’t supposed to happen

They always say that pride comes before the fall, but how can they be so sure?

There was something different in the air at the studio today, yet I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Ever since finishing up that episode of Unsolved, I couldn’t shake off a weird feeling that someone I knew committed these heinous acts. That can’t be the case, right? Surely not.

As I made my way into the studio, an intense heat climbed it’s way to my cheeks. Stealing a quick glance around the area, I made my way over to my two co hosts, keeping a small smile on my face in hopes they wouldn’t take notice of the intense discomfort I was feeling.

But Ryan noticed.

“Hey, are you alright?” The question was gentle, but I could sense the emotion behind it. I said nothing for a moment, only opting to sit between them as both of them looked at me, seemingly goading me to speak, to say something on the matter.

After what felt like years, a response finally pushed it’s way past my vocal chords. Though my voice was tight, the words were audible. “I’m fine, I’m fine; why do you ask?” Of course, that was a lie, but I would _never_ tell either of them that.

Ryan nodded reluctantly, turning his sweeping gaze back to the camera. He murmured something that I couldn’t quite hear, but I ignored it. Unwrapping my scarf from my form, I placed it on the back of my chair, seeing as there was nowhere else to really put it at the time.

The camera was on, and it was go time.

As Ryan did the postmortem intro, I stole a glance at both of them; Shane seemed at ease, so odd from that distracted and quick-to-deny exterior he had put up a few days prior.

I looked over to Ryan, who was also looking at me with a somewhat expectant eye. Jesus, how long had I been distracted? Offering a slight smile to hide my confusion, I spoke again. “Did I miss anything?” chewing on the inside of my cheek, I offered a smile and nod at the camera. God, I was out of it.

”Yeah, you uh.. you kinda zoned out for a bit there,” Ryan teased through a chuckle, and I inwardly berated myself at that. However, I put on that same smile I always did, shifting in my chair. “What was the question?”

Peering around me, Ryan directed the next statement to Shane this time. “The question was to the tall guy here, actually.” Another chuckle. I looked down at the arm of the chair I was sitting in, opting to drawing circles with my nail as opposed to paying attention to the situation. The question did involve Shane’s behavior, after all.

Placing his palms in the air toward the camera, Shane let on a feigned innocence. “Hey now! It was all for the bit, I can assure you!” He said, truth laced deeply in his words. 

I couldn’t force myself to believe him, but I’d never tell him that. Not on camera. Gazing at him, I offered a smirk in response to his words. That’s all i _could_ do. I didn’t want to be too suspicious, after all. Chewing on the inside of my lip, I direct my attention to Shane once more, drumming my fingers on the table. “If you’re sure,” was all I said in response to the situation.

In that moment, I felt like a different person. I couldn’t really explain it, but I knew I wasn’t the same person I had been prior. Clasping my hands on the table, I fought back a sarcastic remark as the two continued their banter, hoping to God they wouldn’t realize that I didn’t have enough energy to partake.

Until I felt something nudge my shoulder.

“C’mon!” Shane said in a giddy voice, bumping his shoulder into mine again as an attempt to get me to join them. I let my gaze meet his, an unknowing flame sparked in my eyes again that had died out long ago.

That’s when I snapped.

To be honest, I’ve no idea what the hell got into me, but I knew I was finished here. “No, I-I can’t. I’m sorry, but.. I have to go,” my words came out in a strangled whisper, like I had forced them past my lips. But that wasn’t the case. I had enough of this, enough of everything that was going on. I needed out.

So I left without another word.


	3. chapter three - innocent until proven guilty

The days following the postmortem had been anything but easy. Maybe I was looking a little _too_ deep into the situation, or maybe I wasn’t at all. Could it be one of those things where I know it better than I think I do? A small smile tugged at my lips at the thought, but tapered away soon after as a scowl had appeared. Maybe my gut instinct _was_ right. I had to figure it out.

I was pulled from my own reveries as I felt the couch shift next to me, and I hesitated to let my gaze float to whomever was now seated next to me. But when I did, I felt my heart start racing once more - the same reaction I had on the day of filming. Forcing a smile on my lips, I spoke first, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Hey there,” my voice was still the slightest bit shaky, but I’m sure he didn’t notice. A small smirk tugged at his lips, placing his hand down on the couch, a few minuscule inches from where mine was. 

“Don’t look so stressed out!”

The voice came from behind us, and I had to fight an urge to look back, even though I knew exactly who it was. It was only Ryan. Setting my jaw, I whirled around to look at him, a carefree look in my eyes. “Who’s stressed? You?” I joked, partially to take the attention off of how anxious I was feeling at that moment. Shane looked at me like I was insane, and silently I cursed at myself. 

“You’re on edge,” Ryan stated matter of factly, coming around to sit next to me on the space that remained. Great. Now I was caught in the middle with nowhere to go. Sighing, I turned to him. “What gave you that idea, Ry?” An affectionate nickname, one I had called him days prior. A small smile tugged at his lips like he were a puppet, so I could tell the nickname got to him. He placed his hand on my leg, and I had to fight the urge to jump at the sudden contact. I instead decided to focus my gaze on a spot on the bland wall and at this point I was at war with my own thoughts. Shane was staying scarily silent on this entire situation, and I could only wonder why.

“I know my friends, and you’re not usually like this,” Ryan’s voice pulled me out of that scary thought process, and I couldn’t help but smile. He had a point - he did know me better than I knew myself most times, and so I turned back to him. “Listen, Ry. I—“ I had to stop for a moment to collect my thoughts. I had to be careful. Suddenly, a wave of nausea pulled itself at me and I had to lean over to try and stop the current from taking me away, whisking me into the tide never to be seen again. Ryan had his hand on my shoulder as I let my focus turn onto the boots I had on (that I for some reason didn’t take off when we entered the house but that’s neither here nor there).

After a stretch of moments, Ryan spoke again. “Are you. . . okay?” The pause didn’t go unnoticed, but I didn’t comment on it. Sitting back up after the wave had passed, I turned to him again, not looking at Shane because I feared the burden that I might carry if I did so. “Perfectly fine, though I think that . . .” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “This is far fetched, but hear me out. . . Ever since we filmed the episode, I had the slightest inkling of a feeling that someone I knew. . . was behind it all,” I swallowed sharply, waiting for his response.

Ryan’s gaze widened, and he nodded. “Who. . . do you think did it?”

My attention turned to the other at my side.

”Shane, can I ask you a question?”

The taller of the duo paled the slightest bit as he rose to a standing position, nodding. “Of course. Outside?” He motioned to the door, and I nodded.

Once we were outside, the question that had tugged at my tongue spilled out like spilled paint. “Were you behind this?” It was safe to say Shane was surprised, because he became as white as a ghost. Casper. It was a joke the three of us had, when one of us became as white as a ghost the two others would call them Casper. It was funny then. But not now.

“Me? Wh-what are you on about?” He was fidgeting now, and my gaze was as sharp as daggers. “I would never! Could never! I-I mean, I—“ he had to stop himself to regain his composure. A shaky breath left my lips like butterfly wings. “No. I could never do that to another person, let alone ten people. I don’t know where you got that, but it isn’t true.”

I raised my chin, setting my jaw. “So you had the moxie to fervently deny you had even the ability to do such a thing today, but when we were filming the episode you seemed quite the bit on edge,” my voice was the slightest bit accusing. “Because I was scared, the details scared the hell out of me! Listen to me, do I seem like the type of person to do that?”

My voice was cold now. “No, Shane, you don’t. But even the most innocent-looking people can potentially be the most devastating. Remember that.”


End file.
